Don't Leave Me Here
by Winter's Realm
Summary: Aurra Sing has teamed up with another bounty hunter and a mad scientist. What do they have in common? A mutual hatred of Ahsoka Tano. Unfortunately for Ahsoka, Darth Sidious is brought into the mix as the bounty hunters (and mad scientist) work to make a weapon which could destroy the Republic. Rated T for themes of abandonment and mentions of torture & injury in future chapters.
1. Breaking Out

**A/N: Haven't given up on writing Path to Padawanship, but I think I need a bit of a break from it. I've been playing around with the idea for this story for over a month now, and decided I had better do something about writing it! Warning, there will be mentions of torture and injuries in future chapters. I will point out those chapters when they get posted so that you can skip them if you want to. (It won't be too graphic, but I don't want to scare anyone! It is rated T for a reason.) Apart from that, do enjoy! :)**

**I don't own the Clone Wars or Star Wars.**

* * *

The Republic was foolish.

They had a powerful army, which was aided by advanced technology and led by Jedi Knights.

They had a large Senate, with many powerful and rich Senators.

But what they didn't have was a secure prison. And very soon, they would be paying the price for that mistake.

Aurra Sing carefully climbed up a dark, narrow passage in the middle of the prison. This hallway had pressure sensors on the floor, but by pressing her arms and legs against the hexagonal walls, she could move without touching the ground. It was a hard, painful and excruciatingly slow way to travel, but if everything went right, she would be out of this prison soon. A slightly strained muscle was a small price to pay for freedom, after all.

It was night time on Coruscant, and this hallway had no windows. There was some dim lighting, but that would work to her advantage. It turned her into a blurry shadow, harder to spot. Normally the lighting would have been much brighter, but there had just 'happened' to be a power failure.

The assassin continued until she was just outside a doorway. There were a couple of guards inside. She carefully looked around the side of the door. There, just as planned, was the blaster lying on a table. It was within her reach.

Quietly, she swung down and grabbed the weapon, but made a slight scuffling sound as she stepped into the room. That was enough to alert the guards to her presence.

"What the-!?" One of them cried, but was cut off as she shot him in the chest. A second guard tried to call for help on a comlink, but she shot the transmitter, before taking the guard out as well.

That left just one more in the room. Aurra narrowed her eyes at him.

"I did everything you requested," he said, looking slightly scared. "But you said that you would stun the others! Not kill them!"

She shrugged. "Dead men tell no tales," she whispered venomously, before stepping forward. "Do you have a problem with that?"

"Oh, uh, no...I do not," the guard said, looking at the blaster in the assassin's hand. "As long as I get paid, you can do whatever you want. You're in charge,"

Aurra stepped back and nodded. "Don't forget it. Now, deactivate the pressure sensors, and create a blind spot on the roof of this building,"

"You want me to turn off the cameras and floodlights?" The man asked, panicking. Aurra nodded, her long brown hair bobbing with the movement.

The guard did as requested, feeling terrible. Two weeks ago, he had been approached by a Human male. He had been offered five million credits to get Aurra out of prison. He had also been told that if he didn't comply, his family (he had a wife and three daughters) would be killed.

He tried to not look at the dead forms of his two workmates. It had been a bad idea to get involved with mercenaries. But he hadn't had a choice. It was either his friends or his family. Besides, after tonight, he would be rich enough to leave this planet with his family. His wife had always wanted to escape this war and head somewhere peaceful. Maybe they could go live on Naboo.

"I'm finished," he muttered. The assassin simply narrowed her eyes and nodded.

"Let's move then. My transport will pick us up from the roof. No one will see us, will they?"

The guard gulped. "No, they shouldn't,"

"Good. Because if the alarm is raised, or you have betrayed me," she paused, raising the blaster. "It's over. For both you _and_ your family."

He nodded in understanding. Then, they exited the room and headed for the rooftop.

* * *

"Sir, we have a problem," Jake called. He was a junior night guard, and he enjoyed his work. All he had to do was watch the security cameras. But tonight, the camera which usually showed the top of the main prison block had turned off.

An older man walked quickly over to his position. "What's happening?"

Jake showed him the screen. The supervisor swore loudly. "We'd better get up there. Officer Mark, keep an eye on these cameras and alert security. Something's going on."

* * *

"Right on time, Aurra. Who's your friend?" a Human male drawled. He was parked on the rooftop, smoking a death stick.

The assassin jumped into the speeder. "I'm glad you showed up on time, this time, Gaska. He's the guard you employed. Now get us out of here before we get spotted,"

"As the lady requests," he chuckled before activating the speeder. "Hold on tight." Gaska pulled the speeder around quickly, driving off the prison roof. He then headed for the nearest stream of traffic, blending in with the other drivers. Once they had put enough distance between themselves and the prison, Gaska turned left down a darker alleyway. Aurra could just make out the shape of a ship at the very end. As they drew closer, the Phindian standing beside the ship also came into view.

"That's our new employer," Gaska muttered. "Cheerful looking fellow, isn't he? His name is Beran Sobeck. His brother, Osi Sobeck, used to be in charge of the Citadel. Beran is a scientist, interested in pain. He would often invent new torture methods for his brother to use on prisoners. Unfortunately, a Jedi Padawan named Ahsoka Tano killed Osi a month ago. Beran is now working for the Separatists on a new project. This particular project requires Jedi. It's our job to catch him some,"

Aurra smiled cruelly. "Sounds pretty easy. In fact, it sounds like a lot of fun."

Gaska nodded as he parked the speeder. The two criminals began to head in the direction of the ship, but were stopped by a voice.

"Wait, what about my pay?" the guard asked. Aurra didn't hesitate. She turned around and shot him.

"That's your pay, you poor naïve fool. You really shouldn't work with criminals. Gaska, help me dispose of this mess, then let's get off world."

* * *

"Aurra Sing. I've heard a lot about you," Beran Sobeck said. The three bounty hunters were sitting in the cockpit of the Phindian's ship. They had left Coruscant, and were discussing where they would head to next.

The assassin pulled out a dagger and twirled it between her long, bony fingers. "Oh?"

"I've asked you to join our team because we have a mutual enemy. The Jedi killed my brother, just as they ruined some of your jobs," Beran stated.

Aurra narrowed her eyes at the mention of her failed assignments. "So?"

"I've been approached by Count Dooku. His Master wants me to make some sort if machine which can cut a Jedi's connection to the Force. Only a group of Jedi Masters working together can do this, but as a scientist, I believe that if I watched them do it, I could create the machine," Beran smiled. "I want you to capture four Jedi. But I don't what just any Jedi. I want three Jedi which would cut the fourth's connection to the Force in exchange for freedom,"

Aurra nodded. "Mace Windu, Ki-Adi-Mundi and Luminara Unduli," she replied, biting off each name as she listed them off on her slender fingers. "Those Jedi are all Generals and will be aware of the price the Republic would pay if they got captured. Who do you want the fourth to be?"

"Anyone you like. Or rather, anyone you don't like. After their connection to the Force has been removed, I will be making life very painful for them,"

Aurra leaned back in her chair and pulled out a death stick. "I've got just the Jedi in mind." She replied, smirking.

Gaska looked up from the holopad he had been using for research. "Apparently, Windu is on Bellassa. He's the closest Jedi to our position. Let's head there and then track the others down,"

Beran nodded. "Sounds like a good place to start."

Gaska began to type the co-ordinates into the ship's navigation system before pulling back on the hyperspace lever.

From inside the cockpit, the stars seemed to blur as the ship accelerated. But none of the bounty hunters noticed. They were too busy planning their assignment, and discussing the best way to catch a Jedi.

* * *

**Aurra is very hard to write- especially describing the way she moves and acts. Gaska and Beran are both OC's. And also, I know that this chapter did not have Ahsoka in it, but she is going to be the main character for this story. This chapter was just to set the scene for the 'bad guys'.**

**Thanks for reading! :)**


	2. Missing In Action

**Hey guys! Here's chapter two!**

**I don't own The Clone Wars or Star Wars!**

* * *

"Hurry up, Snips! The Council called us five minutes ago! They want us in the Council Chambers now!" Anakin bellowed, thumping on his Padawan's door.

"Coming! Gosh, someone woke up on the wrong side of the Force today," the Togruta sighed, opening the door. She was hopping around on one foot, trying to pull her boots on. "What's the rush? I thought I didn't have to do anything this week!"

Anakin groaned. Just over a month ago, several Trandoshans had captured Ahsoka during the battle of Felucia and taken her to an island on Wasskah. There, she had been released and hunted down for sport. Fortunately, there had been some other Jedi Younglings and a Wookiee there. They had teamed up, and managed to overpower the hunters.

Anakin had decided to give his Padawan two weeks off as recovery time. Although she didn't talk about it, he was sure that something terrible had happened on that island. She was still the same cheerful, bubbly, enthusiastic Padawan he had always known. But she just seemed a little bit more mature, and slightly less innocent than she had been before she was kidnapped.

He was pretty sure Ahsoka would be fine, though. The Togruta did have a bit of a lazy streak when it came to doing paperwork, and had decided that 'two weeks off' meant she didn't have to do any studying. That attitude certainly reassured him that everything was going to be alright. She was enjoying her little holiday immensely.

"It's about a possible mission," he stated, hoping that would grab the Togruta's attention.

It certainly worked, because the Padawan stopped hopping and looked up at him. "Why didn'tcha say so, Skyguy? Last one to the Chambers is a Nuna." With that, the Togruta took off in the direction of the Chamber, wearing one brown boot and carrying the other.

Anakin rolled his eyes, before sprinting down the corridor after his Padawan.

* * *

"Grave, the circumstances are. Three Jedi, taken have been," Yoda said, bowing his head. "You're job to rescue them it will be, Knight Skywalker and Padawan Tano,"

"Who are the Jedi, Master?" Anakin asked.

Ahsoka tensed. She couldn't see Master Plo Koon or Master Shaak Ti, although that didn't mean that they were the captured Jedi. Empty seats at a council meeting were common due to the war.

"Masters Windu, Mundi and Unduli, the captured Jedi are." Yoda replied.

Inwardly, Ahsoka sighed with relief that Master Plo Koon hadn't been captured. Then, she tensed again. She liked Master Luminara Unduli, even though she could be really strict. Ahsoka hoped that all the Masters were alright.

"Brief you, Master Kenobi will," Yoda said, gesturing to Obi Wan's seat.

Master and Padawan turned to face Obi Wan, who was holding a data pad.

"Due to our limited resources, we can only send you two and a platoon of clones to rescue the Masters. It is very important that this mission is a success. The Republic will be severely weakened if it loses these three Generals," Obi Wan stated, stroking his beard. "We have received intelligence that the Jedi are being held on Birix, in the Mid Rim by the Separatists. We also have a diagram of the facility that they are being held at. Do you have any questions?"

Ahsoka and Anakin shook their heads. "No Master,"

"Very well. You leave immediately. And may the Force be with you."

* * *

"Master, we're in position," Ahsoka spoke into her comlink softly. The team had arrived on Birix, and were preparing to rescue the missing Masters.

Ahsoka and her team of twenty Clone Troopers were in front of the facility, hiding behind some rocky outcrops. Once Anakin gave them the signal, they would start blasting and throwing hand grenades at the fortress door. Meanwhile, Anakin and four clone troopers would be sneaking into the facility from the other side. The idea was that Ahsoka would create a distraction (and hopefully a bit of confusion), which would give Anakin time to locate and free the Jedi. As Separatist facilities went, this one wasn't very big. It was probably about three quarters as big as the Citadel had been. That was good, because it meant that there would be less droids inside. However, it also meant that it would be much easier for Anakin's team to be spotted.

But her Master wasn't worried about that, of course. "_Good work, Ahsoka._ _You may begin when ready,"_

The Togruta switched her comlink onto her team's frequency. "Let's go get those tinnies, boys!"

There was a chorus of eager 'Yes Sir's before the Clones charged. Almost immediately after they had ran out from their cover, the team was spotted by the battle and commando droids guarding the prison. The clones all opened fire, while Ahsoka pulled some grenades out from her back pack.

Commando droids were harder to take down than battle droids were, so Ahsoka concentrated her efforts on taking out those droids. She was so engrossed in the battle that she never saw a group of bounty hunters hiding behind another rocky outcrop.

They were watching her every move.

Watching, and waiting until the time was right to step in and complete the next stage of their plan….

* * *

"Lifeform scanner is indicating three life forms in that room up ahead, General," Jesse reported, pointing with the scanner towards a solid looking door.

"Good. Stay sharp," Anakin replied softly.

The team had entered the prison, and were finding it quite easy to navigate through. There had been a couple of close calls with battle droids, but they hadn't been discovered yet. Ahsoka's distraction was obviously working.

However, Anakin couldn't help but wonder if this was too easy. He hadn't seen anyone who looked to be in charge of this facility. And unlike the Citadel, there weren't any traps or obvious cameras around.

_Either this place has really good, subtle security and we've already been discovered, or this is a trap. _Anakin couldn't help but think. Of course, he wasn't worried by that idea. His normal way of dealing with traps was to spring them, and then give whoever had set it up a nasty surprise.

"Sir, are you sure we're doing this right? Where is everyone? It's too easy," Rex muttered.

Anakin grimaced. He wasn't the only one who thought this was a set up, then. Briefly, he wondered if he should call the whole thing off. Something wasn't right here. But then, recklessness took over.

"If it's a trap, then we'll just have to spring it, won't we?" he grinned. They had reached the door. The clones formed a half circle, watching the **empty** corridors behind him.

Anakin activated his lightsaber and sliced through the durasteel door. Once he had pushed the piece of metal out of the way, he ran into the room expecting to see the Jedi Masters. But they weren't there. Instead he came face to face with…

…a transmitter.

* * *

Ahsoka grinned as she raced around the battlefield. She was pretty confident that the plan was working. The droids were constantly firing at her team, but the tinnies' numbers were decreasing rapidly. All the battle droids had been wiped out, and there were only three squads of commando droids left.

The Togruta did a dive roll to avoid a burst of laser fire, before pulling out another grenade. She was beginning to see why some of the clones enjoyed using these weapons. It was very satisfying to throw something through the air and watch as it turned a droid into scrap metal.

Once she had run out of grenades, the Padawan dropped the backpack and activated her lightsabers. So far, none of the clones had been injured.

The Padawan continued to block blaster bolts, and provide cover for the rest of her team. She was so certain that this mission was going to work, even though experience told her that it was a bad idea to celebrate too soon.

Suddenly, clone troopers began to fall. Left, right; all around her. She quickly turned to face the new threat, bringing her lightsabers up in a blocking stance as she pivoted.

But she was too late. The stun bolt hit her hard, and her last thought before everything went black was that she should've listened to experience.

* * *

"What?" Anakin asked, surprised. This wasn't what he was expecting to find.

Rex and Jesse ran into the room. "Is everything under control, sir?" the Captain asked, while Jesse went over to examine the transmitter.

"There are no prisoners here," Anakin replied flatly. "Is that scanner actually working, Jesse?"

Jesse nodded. "The scanner's working fine, Sir," he said, before pointing at the transmitter. "This has been broadcasting the lifeform signals. We've been fooled. The only lifeforms in this building are us,"

Anakin swore loudly, before raising his comlink. "Ahsoka, something's going on. I need you to get in here now! Ahsoka?"

There was no reply. Anakin quickly ran over to the nearest wall, and sliced it open. The wall was part of the front of the fortress. Once the part he had sliced at fell away, the stealth team was given an excellent view of the battle field.

Everyone gasped at the gruesome sight. Clone trooper bodies were littered everywhere. Anakin quickly leapt out of the 'prison' and ran over. Grimly, he examined the mess.

There had been twenty one people in this team, and twenty of them were dead. That left one survivor. Anakin already knew, deep down, that there was only one person that could've survived. The only problem was that she was nowhere to be found.

Ahsoka Tano was gone.

* * *

**Thanks for reading!**


	3. Don't Leave Me Here!

**A/N: Thank you to everyone who has reviewed, followed or favourite this story! Here's chapter three. Warning, the ending of this chapter is just a little bit darker than the others. Hope you enjoy it anyway!**

**I don't own the Clone Wars. **

* * *

"Wake up, brat," Aurra hissed.

Ahsoka groaned. Her head was pounding, and her montrals ached. The Togruta blinked open her eyes. For a couple of seconds, everything swayed in and out of focus. After a couple more blinks, her vision came back, and she could see Aurra Sing's cruel face leering down at her.

What a lovely sight to wake up to.

Ahsoka immediately tried to stand up, but realised that her hands and feet were secured with Force resistant binders. The Padawan also realised that her lightsaber and shoto had been taken away from her. Since she couldn't fight, the Togruta settled for the next best option. Insults.

"Hey Aurra! Have ya attempted some more assassinations? Emphasise on the word 'attempt' of course. Crashed anymore ships? I bet that Fett hates you after what happened to Slave One. "

Aurra responded by slapping the Togruta hard across the cheek. Ahsoka gasped at the force the assassin had put behind the blow. "Guess not, huh?" she managed to rasp out once the pain had died down a little.

Aurra's eyes narrowed as she watched Ahsoka. "We've got some of your friends here," she stated, continuing to stare at the Padawan. Ahsoka refused to be intimidated, and stared right back. On the outside, she was radiating defiance, but on the inside, her mind was working fast. Could Aurra be referring to the missing Masters?

Her defiance only made her kidnapper angrier. "Get on your feet, you pathetic brat,"

Ahsoka sighed and stood up. _This is not looking good_. Aurra pulled out a blaster. _Not looking at all good._

"You will do exactly as I say, or I'll shoot you. Now, I'm going to deactivate the cell door. You will stay in front of me where I can see you at all times. I will tell you where to go. Got it?" Aurra commanded harshly. Ahsoka nodded, and they left the cell.

"Turn right," Aurra grunted. Ahsoka's feet were still tied together, so she had to jump. It was an uncomfortable way to move, but her Jedi training had made her strong and light on her feet.

They soon arrived outside a ray-shielded door. Aurra deactivated it, and roughly pushed Ahsoka inside. Much to the assassin's disappointment, Ahsoka didn't fall over. She only stumbled slightly.

Once the Padawan had regained her balance, Ahsoka looked around the room. It was a lot larger than the cell she woke up in had been, and there were wires and display panels everywhere. And, what was that in the corner? Ahsoka jumped forward to get a better view. The Padawan gasped. "Masters!" she cried out. The Togruta couldn't believe it. She had found them! Well, it might have been a bit better and perhaps slightly more heroic if she wasn't captured herself. The Jedi Masters were tied up in Force resistant binders just like she was.

"Padawan Tano!" Master Mundi said in surprise. Ahsoka was about to reply when a cruel voice rang out.

"This is touching. What a sweet little reunion!" Beran laughed as he marched into the room.

Ahsoka turned around and stiffened suddenly. "What..?" the Phindian looked very similar to the one she had killed on Lola Sayu. It couldn't be the same one, could it? Ahsoka shuddered. She had stabbed Osi Sobeck straight through the heart with her shoto. He was dead, gone forever. But these eyes… they glowed with the same hatred. The walk was the same- a walk of someone who had power and enjoyed exercising it. Even his right eye twitched the same way Sobeck's had.

"Do you know me Tano? I thought I saw a flash of recognition on your face," he sneered. "I'm Osi Sobeck's brother; I used to invent different ways of torturing prisoners for information. You see, I'm a scientist who studies pain. My experiments helped my brother greatly, before you killed him. Now, I'm working with the Separatists. But I don't see why that should stop me from getting revenge."

Ahsoka flinched. Even his voice sounded the same as Sobeck's had. It grated on the nerves, and made you feel slightly cold. The Padawan steeled herself as he continued to speak again. He would not scare her.

"However, I've found that Jedi can be very difficult to work with, due to their connection to the Force. You try to torture a Jedi, and they just retreat back into themselves, meditating to dull the pain. That is why I have brought the other Masters here. Maybe **I** cannot break your connection to the Force," he smiled wickedly and walked right up to Ahsoka and pointed to the Jedi Masters behind her. "But **they** can."

"We would never do that," Master Windu said. "We are not interested in helping the Separatists out."

Luminara nodded. "Many Jedi would rather die, than separate another from the Force," she added.

Beran turned to grin at the Jedi Masters. "Think very carefully before you make statements like that, Jedi. If you cut her connection to the Force, I will set you all free,"

"Not one of us could afford to do that," Master Mundi said. "We could never sacrifice another to set ourselves free!"

"Spoken like a true Jedi," Beran chuckled. "But can you afford to not do it? You are Generals of the Republic's Army. If you don't co-operate, then I will kill you all. It would cripple the Republic if they lost anymore Jedi. Their forces are spread thinly enough as it is!"

"Thousands would die," Master Windu muttered. "What would become of Padawan Tano?"

Ahsoka gasped. She couldn't believe her montrals! These Jedi Masters would never do such a thing. Would they?

"Oh, I'd do a couple of harmless experiments to get revenge for my brothers death and then let her die painlessly," Beran said, waving a hand dismissively in the air.

"Why should we believe you? You wouldn't let us go free!" Luminara pointed out.

Beran shrugged. "You have my word. We will replace your binders with ones that allow you to use the Force. Then, you can cut her connection, and I will unlock that door over there," the Phindian said, gesturing to where a door was set in the wall. "Outside that door is a ship with a droid in it. You will be flown to the nearest Republican planet and can make your own way back to the Temple from there,"

Master Windu narrowed his eyes. "Give us proof,"

Ahsoka's eyes widened. "Master Windu! You're not thinking of actually agreeing, are you?"

Master Windu turned to look at her. "Thousands would die, young Padawan. Have you ever heard of the saying 'don't risk a thousand lives just to say one'?"

Yes, she had heard it. Master Secura had told it to her once, a year or two ago. Those words had been spoken kindly, from a compassionate Master. Aayla had acted as a mentor for her when Anakin was injured. The war had seemed so dark and dangerous to her then. But now, she knew that the galaxy was broken. Everything she knew was falling. She wished she could go back to that time of innocence.

It felt like forever since anything had been kind or compassionate.

Beran laughed. "Give me your word, Jedi. Tell me that once I take your binders off, you won't attack us or run. You will simply cut the connection and then walk out,"

"How do we know that you will hold up your side of the bargain?" Master Mundi asked.

Beran held up three cylinder shaped objects. They were the Jedi's lightsabers. "I will give these to you, once you promise that you will not attack me at all and that you won't run away until the job's done,"

"No! Please, don't leave me here!" Ahsoka cried. She knew it was undignified, but she didn't care. These bounty hunters would not give her a painless death after doing a couple of 'harmless experiments'. They would torture her until she was broken, and they would ensure she remained that way for as long as she breathed.

"I'm sorry, Ahsoka," Luminara said. Ahsoka looked up, and to her disbelief, she saw a single tear run down the Milarian's face.

"I give my word. Either way, Tano, you die. This way, your death will not be in vain," Master Windu said. Ahsoka had never heard anything spoken so harshly.

"I give my word as well. I'm sorry, Ahsoka. It's the only way," Master Mundi said, bowing his head in sorrow. Then, everyone turned to look at Luminara.

"I give my word," Master Unduli finished softly.

The Padawan stood there with her mouth open. This had got to be a dream. It was not real. She would wake up from this nightmare any moment now. She had joked around with Master Mundi on Geonosis. She had even saved Luminara's life!

Was this abandonment all she got in return?

Aurra Sing roughly grabbed her, and tied her to a metal ring set in the duracrete wall behind her. She watched in horror as the Masters were freed of their binders and given their lightsabers back. Part of Ahsoka hoped that they would break their promise.

But that was not the Jedi way.

She stood in silent terror as the people she had once admired and learnt from approached her with their hands spread open.

Was it just her imagination, or could she feel her connection to the Force fading slightly? Desperately, Ahsoka sent one final message out to her Master. She wanted to say thank you to him for teaching her. She wanted to tell him how much she admired him. How grateful she was to him. How much she loved him, in the way younger sister loves a kind, caring older brother.

But time was running out.

_I'm sorry, Skyguy_

Then, there was a blinding flash of pain and Ahsoka felt as though something was tearing her heart, mind, soul and spirit to shreds. She fought to stay awake, to face it bravely like a Jedi. But, Ahsoka knew she could never be a Jedi now. Not without the Force.

After ten more excruciating seconds, the Padawan passed out on the hard floor.

Perhaps that was for the best. She was spared the agony of watching the three Masters leave the building and get into a waiting shuttle. Not one of the Masters looked back despite having abandoned one of their own.

She didn't have to watch as they arrived safely back at the Jedi Temple. They were unharmed.

And also, she never saw Beran Sobeck's evil grin as the wires and display panels frantically took readings of everything happening in the room.

* * *

**Hard chapter to write. I tried to choose the Jedi Masters who would be most likely to abandon Ahsoka in exchange for freedom and for the sake of the Republic. However, it still feels a little out of character. Hmmm. Anyway, thank you for reading! :)**


	4. No Longer a Jedi?

**Hey guys! Sorry for the long wait. Thank you to everyone who has reviewed, followed or favourited this story. :) Here's the next chapter. Warning, there are mentions of torture, but nothing described graphically. Hope you enjoy!**

**I don't own SWTCW or SW.**

* * *

…_.Those hands reaching towards her….._

…_The Force beginning to fade…._

…_.The Masters she once admired and trusted suddenly turning their backs on her and walking away…..._

"NO!" Ahsoka cried, yelling herself awake. The Togruta gasped for air as she sat up. What had happened? Where was she now? The last thing she remembered was a flash of pain and being held inside a room with wires and display panels everywhere.

Ahsoka stood up and stretched. She wasn't inside that room anymore. She was inside a cell, with a ray-shielded door. The Togruta groaned as it all came back to her. The Jedi Masters had abandoned her, and cut her connection to the Force.

There were a couple of pebbles on the floor of her cell. The Padawan reached a hand out towards them. Nothing happened. They didn't float up, they didn't move. The stupid stones didn't even wobble slightly.

"No! They didn't! It's not possible!" Tears began to form in Ahsoka's eyes. They _had_ cut the connection. She couldn't feel the Force anymore.

But didn't the Force reside in all living things?

Ahsoka was pretty sure she was alive. So that must mean that the Force was still there, she just couldn't feel it as strongly as she had before. She didn't actually know how the Masters had done it. Perhaps they had destroyed some of her Midi-Chlorians. Enough to prevent her from using the Force like a Jedi, but not enough to actually kill her.

"Look who's awake. It the non-Jedi brat. How's it feel to not feel your precious Force, honey? Congratulations, you're a normal person now." Aurra sneered as she walked into the cell. "The boss wants to talk to you. I can't imagine it will be a pleasant conversation." The assassin gestured with her blaster towards the door.

Ahsoka groaned and began to walk towards the door. Her feet weren't tied anymore, but there was a pair of ordinary handcuffs around her wrist. She flinched at the sight, remembering the force resistant binders she had been secured with before. But, she didn't need them now.

Another bitter reminder of what she had lost.

They headed back to the room where everything had happened last night. There, Ahsoka's hands and feet were tied to two poles. She couldn't move anything other than head.

Aurra left the room once she had secured the Togruta. As soon as she had left, Ahsoka began to examine the room. The display panels and everything else was still there. She noticed another assassin and the Phindian from last night talking quietly in a corner. They appeared to have some sort of memory chip, and were downloading data from all the machines.

Ahsoka wondered what the machines had been measuring. From her current position, she could see one that measured electricity levels and currents in the air. Another recorded temperature. The third one in front of her measured the pressure of the air in the room.

Why?

She knew that Beran studied pain, but half these instruments would be no use for the type of experiments he would carry out.

The Togruta then twisted her head around, and gasped in surprise. There were several screens behind her. One displayed a recording of what had happened last night. Another displayed readings from all of the machines. Ahsoka squinted in an attempt to read what it said. She could only make out a few words.

_At 0.14 seconds:_

_Air temperature= 40°C._

_Electricity levels were very high, around _

_Air pressure=…._

_Energy=…_

_At 0.15 seconds:_

It was no use. She was reading from a terrible angle, and couldn't make out some of the numbers. But that didn't stop her burning curiosity. Beran had recorded absolutely everything happening in this room when her connection to the Force had been cut.

There was only one reason why he would do that.

He had lied to the Jedi. Yes, he wanted to torture her once her connection to the Force had been removed. He had said that he wanted revenge. But, he also wanted to watch a Jedi's connection to the Force be broken. The Jedi had thought that would be the beginning of her torture. But they had been fools.

What Beran hadn't told them was that he was recording everything, because he wanted to replicate it.

"Good to see you, youngling," Ahsoka's heart sank. Beran had finished downloading everything, and the other bounty hunter had left the room.

"What do you want, Beran?" Ahsoka hissed. "You recorded everything that happened last night. You just downloaded all the readings onto a memory chip,"

The Phindian chuckled as he walked towards her. "Yes I did. The Jedi were stupid. Using the data I collected, I'm going to create a machine which can wipe any Jedi's link to the Force,"

So she was right. Beran was going to destroy the Jedi Order. And that would lead to the fall of the Republic.

"But enough of the talking, child. I am still continuing with my original work. I have already created a scale and units for physical pain. After a bit of research, I also know where a Togruta's nerve ends are found. Let's play around a bit and see what the highest number that we can get is, shall we?"

Beran then crossed several wires over her body and hooked them to a machine. Once the sensors were in place, he then pulled up a tray. On the tray were heated pieces of metal, electricity conductors and an array of knives.

Ahsoka bit back a scream.

* * *

She had never been in so much pain. Once Beran had finished 'playing around', she couldn't stand. Instead, she leaned back, making her restraints take her weight. The bounty hunters had to carry her back to the cell.

Once she was inside, the Togruta noticed that there were some blankets, food and water in a corner. Briefly, she wondered why she had been provided with the supplies. Then, she realised that the bounty hunters wanted to keep her alive for as long as possible. They didn't want the cold durasteel cell or starvation doing their dirty work for them. She noticed that there was also a mirror on one of the walls. Ahsoka flinched as she saw her refection. There was blood and bruises all over her. Beran did nasty work.

Suddenly, Ahsoka was desperate to get out of this place. If only she could stand! Then she could find the way out. But, it looked pretty hopeless. There were no weapons anywhere, and the room was made of durasteel. There were no floor boards or trapdoors.

Sighing, Ahsoka crawled over to the blankets and tried to fall asleep. But no matter how hard she tried, the Padawan couldn't. She could still feel the electricity. She could still see the knives.

But worse of all, she could still remember Masters Mundi, Windu and Unduli leaving her here. Leaving her here to die.

She wasn't broken yet, but she knew it would only be a matter of time.

* * *

Anakin wearily made his way down the corridors of the Jedi Temple. He had gotten back from Birix two days ago. Ahsoka was still missing. He had gone over every star chart on board the Resolute, wondering where she was, and trying to figure out who could've taken her.

But he had almost given up hope. Yesterday, he had tried to meditate, in the hope that the Force would guide him to her location. He hadn't seen any location, but he had heard her.

She had cried out with three words.

_I'm sorry, Skyguy._

Then he had felt a dull pain in the Force, and Ahsoka's Force signature faded. He could still faintly sense her. But there was only a ghost of her left in the Force and communication was impossible. Every time he tried to touch it, the signature would slip away, like grains of Tatooine sand falling through his fingers.

He was worried by the words she had chosen. His Padawan hardly ever called him Skyguy now- preferring to use the more respectful title of 'Master'. He wondered about the change. Perhaps she had been referring back to happier times when the war had been nothing but a competition of who could 'scrap the most tinnies' and 'come up with the craziest nickname'. Anakin shuddered. If that was the case, then it was very possible those words were a farewell. It would be just like Ahsoka to want to leave him with positive, happy memories of their time together.

He was interrupted from his thoughts by the chiming sound of his comlink. The Chosen One bit back a growl. He was not in the mood to speak to anyone. However, the stupid device continued to bleep at him, so Anakin reluctantly activated the transmitter.

"Master Skywalker here," he grumbled.

"Knight Skywalker, come to the Council chambers now, could you?" Yoda inquired.

Anakin sighed at the request. For once, all he wanted to do was meditate in the hopes of making contact or simply locating Ahsoka. But, part of the young Knight knew it would be in vain. Besides, there was always the possibility the Council had found out something about his Padawan. "Yes, Master. I'm on my way."

There was no-one to race through the Temple with, and he walked slowly, alone.

* * *

The Council was silent as he strode in. Anakin didn't like it. The Council was often quiet, but this time there seemed to be something foreboding about the silence. It hung heavily in the air, as if it was waiting for the right moment to fall and crush him. Grimly, Anakin made his way to the centre of the circle.

"Sorry, we are," Master Yoda began softly, bowing his head.

"What do you mean, Master? Where is my Padawan?!" He had meant to say it quietly, but his voice rose in volume and he finished his question in a yell.

"Calm yourself, Skywalker," Windu instructed. "Her connection to the Force was cut off. She sacrificed herself to save us,"

Anakin stiffened as he looked around the chambers. Master Windu was here, and so was Master Mundi. He knew that Luminara wasn't on the Council, but he was sure she had gotten back safely as well. "What do you mean by 'sacrificed'?" He asked warily, knowing that he wasn't going to like the answer.

Master Mundi bowed his head, and told him what had happened. Sometimes, Master Windu would interrupt and give his views on the matter.

Together the two Council members gave Anakin a near complete version of the story, but they missed out one important fact.

They said that Ahsoka choose to give herself up as a sacrifice when in reality, she hadn't gotten a say in the matter.

* * *

**Ooh, the Council's trying to shift the blame. Again! I really hate it when they do that...(Haven't seen season five yet, but I have heard that they do quite a lot of that in the final 'Ahsoka Arc')**

**Thank you for reading! :) Comments and constructive criticism are welcome! Anyway, hope you enjoyed, and the next chapter should be up a bit faster.**


	5. Not Giving In

**I'm back! Finally! Thank you SO much to everyone who has reviewed, followed or favourited this story! Seriously, it makes my day to know that people are enjoying this story :) ! **

**Warning, there will be mentions of torture and injury in this chapter.**

**I don't own The Clone Wars or Star Wars.**

* * *

As much as she wished it wouldn't, dawn broke. Ahsoka couldn't help but think that the nights on this planet were far too short.

She had been held here for about a week. Every second day, Aurra Sing would come and take her to the room, where Beran would run yet another 'experiment'. Ahsoka often wondered why Aurra was hanging around. She never seemed to be doing anything useful. Perhaps she got some sort of sick pleasure out of watching Ahsoka grow steadily weaker.

And she was growing weaker. The Padawan was given food, but it was bad quality, and had little nutritional value. She was steadily losing muscle and weight. Ahsoka knew that she didn't have much time left before she became too weak to escape. But try as she might, she couldn't find a way to get out of the prison. These people had thought of everything. There was no way out.

She was so tempted to just give up. To stop fighting against the bounty hunters and the pain they kept putting her through. To simply accept the situation and just let go of absolutely everything.

But part of her said no. Ahsoka was not going to go down without a fight. The Jedi Order and the Republic were depending on her to stop Beran from releasing his new weapon. It would be incredibly selfish if she just gave up now. Besides, she was still determined to beat these bounty hunters.

"Hey non-Jedi Brat. Get up." Aurra's voice pierced her thoughts. Ahsoka gently pulled herself up. The other day, Beran had cut her leg. The wound was deep, and walking was a problem. The wound kept re-opening itself every time she moved it too much.

* * *

"You have a high pain threshold, youngling. I'll give you that much," Beran sneered. "So today, we're going to try something different."

Ahsoka stiffened. That did not sound good.

"Emotional and physical pain mixed together! Sounds like fun, right?" The Phindian said gleefully. He held up several red hot pieces of metal. Ahsoka realised that each of the piece of metal formed a word.

She couldn't help herself. She screamed.

* * *

Sometime during the session, Ahsoka passed out. Beran grunted in disgust. "Take her back now, Aurra. We've done enough for today. By the way, did you get the materials I requested?"

The assassin nodded as she came forward to drag Ahsoka out of the room. "Everything's ready. I even brought a couple of younglings in for you,"

Beran chuckled evilly. "Good. I'll put everything together today, then."

"It was a great idea to turn the machine into a blaster, Sobeck." Aurra replied. "I hope it'll work."

Sobeck nodded. "It will." He smirked. "It will."

Aurra nodded to the Phindian and dragged Ahsoka out of the room by her feet. However, neither of them realised that Ahsoka had never passed out. She had heard every word.

As the assassin continued to drag her, Ahsoka opened her eyes and looked around. The Padawan was careful to not make any movements that Aurra would be able to feel. From the floor, Ahsoka could see into every room that they passed. There was a storage room, a room full of chemicals and a room that contained spare parts.

It was the last room which caught Ahsoka's attention, though. Down on the ground at her eye level, was a pair of familiar cylinder shaped objects. They must have rolled off one of the shelves without anyone noticing.

For the first time in a week, Ahsoka smiled slightly. She had found her lightsabers. The Padawan made a mental note of the room that they were in.

A ghost of an escape plan was beginning to form in her mind. It might be possible to get out, after all.

* * *

The Togruta was thrown into her cell. She counted to thirty, to make sure that Aurra had gone, before weakly standing up. As she did, Ahsoka caught sight of herself in the mirror. There were cuts all over her lekku, shoulders, arms and legs. There were also burn marks and bruises everywhere.

Continuing to look in the mirror, The Togruta slowly twisted around. There was one place that she dreaded looking at. It was the place Beran had worked on today. Her back.

It came into view on the mirror and she gasped. There were burns everywhere. But they weren't randomly shaped like the ones on her legs were. These ones were in the shape of words.

"Worthless,"

"Failure,"

"Weak,"

"Nothing."

Tears came into her eyes as she read them out. Beran had branded her with her deepest fears. As a younger Padawan, she had always secretly been afraid that she wasn't good enough for her Master to teach.

The words brought back memories, as well. They reminded her of the squadron she had lost by disobeying orders while trying to break the blockade above Ryloth. Those men were dead, and it was her fault alone.

She continued to stare at her reflection in shock as all the other terrible memories of past failures came back to haunt her. If she ever escaped, would Anakin even want her as a Padawan again? She had been captured by a group of bounty hunters! She should have been more aware. She should have tried harder, and perhaps the rest of her team would've survived.

So many people had died because of her…..

No. She had to stop thinking like this. This was what Beran wanted; to break her physically and mentally. That was when Ahsoka realised that although Beran was hurting her body, he had no control over her mind unless she gave it to him. Ahsoka narrowed her eyes and turned away from the mirror.

"Are you Ahsoka Tano?" a small voice interrupted Ahsoka's thoughts. She turned around and limped over to the cell door. Through the ray-shield, she could see a little Pantoran girl trapped in a cell opposite her. This must be one of the younglings she had overheard Aurra talking about.

"Yes, I am. What's your name?" the Togruta replied, doing her best to smile.

The Pantoran toddled up to her cell door. "My name is Sky," she replied, blinking her big, brown eyes. "I've heard heaps about you on the HoloNet. You're an amazing Jedi!"

Ahsoka looked down at the ground, sadly. She'd never be a Jedi ever again. _Stop it_, she told herself as she looked at the girl. Sky appeared to be about nine years old. The Togruta winced as she noticed a large burn mark on the Pantoran's left check. There was no doubt that it was the work of Beran. Ahsoka felt a surge of anger. The Phindian would not get away with this.

"How long have you been here for, Sky?" she asked the little child kindly.

"Three days. I miss my family. Have you come to rescue me?"

Ahsoka groaned. She couldn't lie to this girl, but she didn't want to tell her the truth either. She settled for a compromise. "I'm going to do my best. Are there any other younglings here?"

This obviously satisfied the child, because she smiled in relief. "Yay! There are three more younglings in this cell, but they are asleep right now. Turi is the oldest, he's fifteen and a Human. Sam is also a Human, but he's fourteen like Amelia and she's a Twi'Lek,"

The Padawan paused as she committed it to memory. At least some of the younglings were old enough to take care of themselves, if she ever did manage to get them out. "Okay Sky, just let me think up a plan. You'd better go get some rest now, okay sweetheart?"

The little girl nodded before toddling to the back of the cell where her blankets were. Ahsoka sighed as she sat down and watched the tiny Pantoran. Four younglings into total?! This was going to make escaping so much harder.

* * *

"We've got to go rescue her!" Anakin declared.

"We do not know which planet she is on," Master Windu replied. "Beran Sobeck would not tell us,"

Anakin narrowed his eyes angrily. "We cannot just sit here," he replied, glaring at the Jedi Master.

"Skywalker, just like last time, you will have to trust her," Plo Koon instructed the young Knight firmly.

"I nearly lost her to the Trandoshans a month ago! I can't just sit around waiting again! There's a very good chance that she won't make it back this time!" Anakin groaned. This was starting to sound very similar to what he had been told the last time his Padawan had gotten captured.

"Can you sense her at all through the Force, Anakin?" Plo Koon asked. The other Council members looked at the Kel-Dor and frowned. Using a first name was a very informal thing to do in a Council meeting. But it worked. Anakin looked up in surprise and began to consider what Plo was asking. By using his first name, the Kel-Dor had also reminded the younger knight that he was trying to help, and wanted Ahsoka back just as badly as he did.

"Yes, she's there but only very faintly," Anakin grunted in reply.

Plo Koon nodded. "When you next have time, sit down and just try to send her some support through the Force. Ahsoka may only pick it up subconsciously, but it will help her. In the meantime, we will do our best to figure out where she is."

Anakin sighed tiredly. At least that response was a bit more helpful than the standard 'trust your Padawan and she _might_ make it back' speech the Council usually gave him. The Jedi Knight bowed, and exited the Chambers.

Maybe 'sending support' through the Force wouldn't help Ahsoka at all, but he was determined to try anyway. He would do almost anything to get his Padawan back.

* * *

**Gosh, parts of that chapter were quite uncomfortable to write! (Torture etc) Still, I suppose that's what I get for choosing to write about Ahsoka being captured by bounty hunters. Hope you enjoyed it anyway?**

**Thanks for reading!**


	6. Determination

**Whew! I'm back. Over the past two weeks, I've had FIVE assessments on! Honestly, I swear my teachers delibralty co-ordinate their exams so that they all happen at the same time! **

**Thanks to everyone who reviewed :) Percy J slash Twilight Sparkle, Guest, Snippitysips, Skyguy's Little Skygirl and Pumpkin-love33 **(answers to questions are at the bottom of the chapter).

**Enjoy the chapter, and I don't own Star Wars!**

* * *

Ahsoka grimaced. Why did Beran need to capture and experiment on younglings? Escaping by herself without the aid of the Force and in her current condition was going to be hard enough. Now, with four other people to rescue and a weapon to destroy, getting out alive was going to be near impossible.

Still, the Padawan looked around her cell. There had to be some sort of something which would help her get out. She had blankets and sheets, a cup which contained water, a bowl containing some mushy soup, a couple of pebbles and a mirror.

She wondered about why the last object was in the cell. It was probably meant to discourage her by reminding her of how weak she was getting and how terrible she looked. Ahsoka deliberated whether she would be able to move it or not. It might come in useful. The Padawan crawled over, and gave the piece of glass a gentle tug. It didn't move. Ahsoka groaned. The stupid thing was attached to the wall.

Becoming frustrated, the Togruta sat back, leaning against the durasteel wall. She was getting nowhere. Distantly, she picked up one of the pebbles and started throwing it to herself. Tomorrow morning, Aurra Sing would be coming for her. She wasn't too sure what Beran would have in mind for his next 'experiment', but there was a good chance that she would be too weak to escape after tomorrow. She was so lost in her thoughts that she forgot to catch the pebble. It sailed through the air, and bounced off the durasteel cup with a loud 'ding'.

The Padawan watched it and frowned. Then, she looked up at the mirror. She had an idea.

The Togruta grabbed the two thickest blankets, and laid them out on the ground in front of the mirror. Ahsoka then picked up the mug of water, and tipped the contents into the soup bowl. The soup and water mix would come in handy later on. Once the cup was empty, she flung it at the mirror.

Just as the cup hit the mirror, she let out a loud, fake cough. Hopefully, it would cover up the sound of the glass breaking. She wasn't sure if there would be any guards at the end of the prison block, and she didn't want anyone to discover what she was doing.

It must have worked, because a full two minutes passed, and no one came to check on her. Ahsoka crawled back over to the two blankets which had prevented the pieces of glass from smashing on the cold, hard floor. There, in the middle of the blanket, was a long, sharp shard of glass. The Padawan held it up triumphantly. Now, she had something she could use as both a weapon and a tool.

She carefully carried it over to where the rest of her sheets and blankets were, and began to pick the lock on the metal binders around her wrists. After a couple of minutes of intense fiddling, the handcuffs clicked open and her hands were free. Ahsoka then began to slice through one of her sheets. She wanted to make some bandages for her leg, and also some binders for the bounty hunters. After she had finished making everything, the Padawan sat back and tried to get some rest. Tomorrow was going to be a big day.

* * *

"Today, I want to experiment on the younglings in front of Tano. Apparently, she loves looking after younglings. Seeing them hurt while she was unable to do anything about it could hurt her more than any other type of torture. I want to see if there is any difference between emotional pain and physical pain. Can the same scale and units to measure both types? Or is one worse than the other? I want to find out. Could you please bring them in here?" Beran asked eagerly, rubbing his hands together in anticipation.

Aurra chuckled. "With pleasure," she replied. The assassin was enjoying watching the Togruta suffer. It made up for all of her assignments the Padawan had ruined. She made her way down the corridor, and looked through the ray-shielded door. Tano was asleep; she could see the lump underneath the blood-stained blankets. Aurra deactivated the cell door and stepped into the room.

Suddenly, something hit her hard in the face. Aurra tried to yell, but as soon as she opened her mouth, a cold liquid poured down her throat, choking her. Desperately, she raised her hands, trying to get rid of whatever was obscuring her vision. But she never got the chance. Something else thumped against the side of her head, and her body went limp as she was knocked unconscious.

Grimly, Ahsoka stepped forward and tied the assassin's wrists together with the metal binders. Last night, the Togruta had rolled up a blanket, and arranged it under the other blankets to look like she was sleeping. Then, she had taken the metal binders, soup bowl and pieces of the ripped up sheet over to the side of the cell door. From this position, she couldn't be seen by anyone entering the cell. As soon as Aurra stepped into the room that morning, the Togruta had flung the contents of the bowl at the assassin. While Aurra was distracted, Ahsoka hit her hard on the head with the metal bowl, rendering her unconscious.

Now, the Padawan sighed in relief. For a couple of hours last night, she had been wondering if the plan would actually work. She was grateful that Sing had gone down with the first hit. The Togruta knew that in her current condition, she didn't stand a chance of beating Aurra in a fight.

Ahsoka finished tying the assassin up by using pieces of sheet as ankle cuffs and a gag. She didn't want Sing making too much noise. Once she was sure Aurra was properly secured, she searched her for any weapons. The assassin had dropped her one of her blasters when Ahsoka had hit her with the soup, but she still had another one and a knife on her belt. The Padawan took the belt, and fastened it around her waist. She also removed Aurra's comlink. Once everything was finished, Ahsoka rolled Aurra under her blankets to hide her from sight.

The Togruta limped out the cell door and reactivated the ray-shield door. Her leg hurt terribly. Looking down, Ahsoka could see that her makeshift bandage of ripped up sheets was soaked with blood.

She wondered if her leg would give out before she managed to get out.

* * *

Beran looked at the chrono on the wall and growled. It had been fifteen minutes since he had sent Aurra to get Tano and the younglings and he was starting to get impatient. He wanted to get started as soon as possible. The Phindian decided to give Aurra five more minutes before he came to see where she was.

To keep himself occupied, Beran plugged a memory chip into the datapad which contained most of his work. He had nearly finished designing the machine, and was working on turning it into some sort of blaster which could shot rays that cut a Jedi's connection to the Force. It would be so much easier for the Separatists to use, that way. The Phindian grinned as he copied all the work onto the chip. He would send it to Count Dooku after he had finished with Tano.

Once he had finished downloading all the data, he looked up at the chrono again. Where was Aurra? It shouldn't take twenty minutes to collect the prisoners.

Setting the chip down on a bench, he carried his datapad over to the doorway and looked down the corridor.

* * *

Ahsoka carefully looked around. There were no guards. She was about to go get her lightsabers when someone began to speak.

"Ahsoka? What are you doing?" a young voice asked. Ahsoka nearly jumped in fright, but she quickly realised that it was only Sky talking to her.

"I'm going to go get my lightsabers. Then I'm going to come back for you," she replied softly.

"Can't we come now?" Sky asked. Ahsoka paused. She didn't want to be walking around here with a group of younglings, as it would be so much easier to get discovered. But her leg was really painful, and she was beginning to feel slightly dizzy from loss of blood and lack of food. Ahsoka realised that if she wasted energy and time by doubling back, their chances of escaping would decrease significantly.

"Ok. Does anyone here know how to use a blaster?" she asked as she deactivated the cell door and let the younglings out. The two Human boys, Sam and Turi both nodded. Ahsoka handed them each one of the blasters. "Good. Don't use it until I say, okay? We need to be as quiet as possible."

All the younglings nodded. Ahsoka could tell that they were all quite scared, especially Sky and Amelia. She pointed down the corridor towards the room where her lightsabers were.

"We need to go there first. After that, I need to find a copy of Beran's plans. Once we've got that, we can find a ship or speeder and get out." She whispered.

Cautiously, everyone began to make their way down the hall. Ahsoka held Aurra's knife in one hand, prepared to throw it if anyone saw them. It would be much quieter than using a blaster.

Fortunately, they made it to the storage room without being discovered. Before they went in, Ahsoka raised one hand to stop them.

"Ok, now I need two of you to go in there," the Padawan whispered. "On the ground behind the shelves on the left are my lightsabers. Can you get them for me while I go see what Beran's doing? The other two will have to keep a lookout."

The two girls nodded and went inside, while the boys stood outside.

Satisfied that everything would be alright, the Padawan continued down the corridor. Once she was outside the experiment room, she stopped and looked around the doorway. Beran was downloading diagrams of something onto a memory chip. Ahsoka watched as he finished, and put the memory chip on a bench.

The Togruta stepped back out of sight. She needed to get that chip. Ahsoka was sure that contained the design plans for the weapon. The Padawan was just trying to come up with the best way to get the chip when Beran suddenly appeared in the doorway beside her. He was unarmed.

Ahsoka swiftly brought Aurra's knife up in the reverse grip and attempted to strike the bounty hunter. But the loss of blood had made her slow. Beran sidestepped and quickly aimed a punch at her face. Ahsoka stepped back in an attempt to avoid the punch, but it still caught her on the shoulder.

Beran had put a lot of force behind the blow and she fell to the ground with a sickening thud.

* * *

**Q and A:**

**Percy J slash Twilight Sparkle: Wow, awesome! Thanks for your very respectful review (about the PM thing), and of course you can! I'd love to see the lyrics! :)**

**Guest (all da good names are taken): Yep, you can write one somewhat like mine. Just don't copy it entirely! (Although I'm sure you wouldn't do that anyway! :) ) I'm glad it's inspired you to write another fanfic! :)**

**Thanks to all the other awesome reviewers (seriously, just a 'update soon' is encouraging, because it lets me know your enjoying the story!)!**


	7. Escape

**Hey guys! Long time, no see. Well, actually, _very_ long time, and I'm real sorry about that.** **Big thanks to all those reviewers! Skyrela Tano, Lost Padawan (guest), Percy J slash Twilight Sparkle, NYC Girl (Guest) and your biggest fan (Guest)**

**Disclaimer: If I owned The Clone Wars, the Season Five Finale would have had a very different ending (as in, Ahsoka wouldn't have left!) I'd also have a lot of money and be famous. Unfortunately, none of that has happened (or has any chance of occurring), so from that we can deduce that I don't own TCW!**

* * *

"Can you see them, Amelia?" Sky asked the older Twi'Lek girl softly. Amelia was leaning on the ground, rummaging around under the shelves Ahsoka had described.

"I think so. Are those Ahsoka's lightsabers?" Amelia asked, pointing at two cylinder shaped objects. Sky leaned down as well and reached forward, picking the objects up. One was longer than the other, but they both had a similar design and grip.

"Yep, that's them. I can't believe I'm holding _the_ Ahsoka Tano's lightsabers!" Sky grinned. Amelia smiled at the younger girl.

"C'mon Sky, we've got to get out of here." She murmured softly.

The two girls carefully headed back to the doorway. The boys, Sam and Turi, turned around as they left the room.

"We've got them." Sky whispered. "Now, let's go find Ahsoka."

The group walked quietly towards the experiment room. Suddenly, there was a loud thud. The younglings all looked at each other.

"What was that?" Amelia asked, looking slightly panicked. Sam ran forward a couple of steps and peered around the corner.

"Beran punched Ahsoka!" he cried, bringing his blaster up and trying to shoot at the Phindian. Turi sprinted up to join him, and began to fire as well.

Unfortunately, while both boys knew how to use a blaster, they weren't very good at aiming one. Beran jumped back into the experiment room, and began to run towards one of the exits. The boys continued to give chase, running past Ahsoka.

Ahsoka groaned as she tried to stand up. Her left shoulder felt like it was on fire, and she was having trouble moving her leg.

"Are you okay, Ahsoka?" Sky asked, as she came running up with the Padawan's lightsabers. Somewhere in the facility, an alarm began to ring. Ahsoka groaned. So much for her original plan of subtly sneaking out and avoiding a fight. There was a small pang in her heart as she that this was the sort of thing Anakin would enjoy. It reminded her of all the times they had worked together. Ahsoka knew that they would never work together again, though.

Grimly, she pushed the thought aside. She needed to stay in the moment.

"I hope so. Thanks for finding them!" Ahsoka replied, wincing as she used the wall to pull herself up to a standing position. Sky handed her the weapons.

The Padawan activated them, just as Gaska and a squad of commando droids came around the corner. "Get into the room! There's a memory chip on the middle table. Pick it up, and go wait by the exit. I'll hold the droids back." Ahsoka ordered. Sky and Amelia obeyed without hesitation.

"I thought Aurra had taken the prisoners to the experiment room!" Gaska muttered angrily as he directed the droids towards the Togruta's position.

Ahsoka overheard him as she began to block blaster bolts. That explained why there had been no guards around the prison block. The bounty hunters had grown overconfident with their ability to control their prisoners. She had been very lucky.

However, that also meant that this was their only chance to escape. If they failed now, the bounty hunters would ensure they never got another opportunity to leave. The thought spurred her on and the Togruta continued to fight as strongly as she could. Soon half the squad had been destroyed. Ahsoka was beginning to believe that there was a chance they could get out when another squad appeared behind her.

Grimly, she muttered the worse word the Clones had taught her. Crossfires were dangerous, even when the Jedi trapped was perfectly healthy and connected to the Force. She didn't stand a chance. Instead of continuing to fight, the Togruta stepped back into the experiment room and locked the door. That would buy them a little bit of time.

"Ahsoka! We have the memory chip but Beran escaped with a datapad!" Sky yelled. Ahsoka slowly began to limp over to the exit where the younglings were. She felt so sick, sore and dizzy. Her leg wasn't working properly, either. Walking was becoming a problem. Behind her, the droids started to cut through the door.

"Get on board a shi…" Ahsoka trailed off as she fainted. Amelia turned around and opened the exit, while Sky, Sam and Turi ran over to the unconscious Padawan. Between the three of them, they lifted Ahsoka up and ran back to the exit.

"The droids will be coming through the door any moment now!" Sam yelled as they ran outside. Amelia had selected a ship, and was already lowering the ramp. The younglings were just about to board when blaster fire erupted all around them.

"There are droids on the roof of the prison!" Turi groaned. "Get on-board everyone, quick!"

The rest of the group needed no encouragement and there was a mad rush up the ramp. Once everyone was on board, Amelia raised the ramp so that the droids couldn't enter.

Turi and Sam gently set Ahsoka down on the floor of the cockpit. The movement must have woken her because the Padawan's eyelids fluttered open.

"Mmm… what's going on?" Ahsoka asked as she woke up.

"We're on a ship. You passed out for a moment back there. Ahsoka, we need to get out of here before the ship's destroyed by droids! Can you fly?" Turi asked.

Ahsoka nodded, and crawled over to the pilot's seat, wincing as she sat down. The back of the chair was rubbing her burns. Putting the pain out of her mind, the Togruta turned the shields on. Sam and Turi buckled themselves in beside the other two younglings as Ahsoka started the engines and the ship rose in the air.

Once they had flown out of the droids' firing range, the Togruta turned around.

"I…I need to go to Coruscant and drop off the memory chip… the Jedi will take you…home afterwards," She told the group wearily. As much as Ahsoka wanted to re-unite them with their families, the Padawan knew that the chip was their first priority.

Turi nodded. "That's fine with us,"

Sky walked up to sit in the co-pilot's seat beside the exhausted Padawan. "Stay with us, Ahsoka. We're nearly there." She encouraged.

The Togruta smiled at the little girl, before punching in the co-ordinates of the Jedi Temple. She was about to pull back on the hyperspace lever when a chiming sound filled the cabin. Sky turned around anxiously.

"What was that?"

Ahsoka pressed a button on the control panel. "It's the transmitter. Someone wants to talk to us," she said as a blue image appeared. It was Beran.

"You've taken a very valuable chip. I need it back. Either put it in an escape pod and release it to me, or I will shoot you down," The Phindian snarled viciously. Ahsoka looked down at sensors on the control panel. Beran was directly behind them; they were well within firing range.

"No can do." She replied shortly. The ship gave a shudder as Beran began to open fire. Fortunately, most of the bolts bounced off the shields and did little damage.

Ahsoka wasn't going to give him the chance to do anymore. She jerked the hyperspace lever back, and the ship accelerated away from the bounty hunter.

"I'll find you. And when I do, you will pay!" Beran snarled and the transmission ended.

* * *

"This ship has been identified as a belonging to a dangerous bounty hunter. If you attempt to land, you will be shot." The radio control tower said. "I repeat, you are not cleared for landing. Turn away now or we will open fire,"

"Stop! I'm not a bounty hunter. My name is Ahsoka Tano. I'm a Jedi Padawan. We must land immediately. A Separatist scientist called Beran Sobeck is after us, as we stole some of his plans for a weapon," Ahsoka cried. They had made it so far, and she was not going to be stopped by some officer.

"The name Beran Sobeck does not register. We are-"

"The information is critical to the war effort," the Padawan interrupted. She had gotten a bit of rest while they had been in hyperspace, but this conversation was beginning to wear her out. "Stop me, and thousands will die. Our weapons are not activated. If you have a problem, call the Jedi Temple and ask for _General_ _Skywalker_. My Master will be more than happy to discuss any issues. I'm landing now at the Temple right now." The Padawan snapped angrily.

"Oh. I don't have clearance to do that. This is very-" the officer was cut off as Ahsoka ended the transmission.

"I don't care."

* * *

"Masters, we have to do something! I have to do something! Ahsoka is my Padawan, and I can't just let her die!" Anakin said. Ahsoka had been missing for just over a week now. He had tried to send her calming waves through the Force, but he never seemed to have any effect on her Force signature. In fact, her faint Force signature was radiating pain, and it was increasing every day. In fact, the pain was the only way he could find her when he meditated. This was so much worse than when she had been captured by the Trandoshans. At least he could sense her then. And she had been in a position where she could fight. Not locked up in some cell and being endlessly tortured.

"Skywalker, we have been over this. We don't have the resources to look for your Padawan," Master Windu replied icily.

"So you'll just leave her to die? Abandon one of our own?" Anakin narrowed his eyes determinedly. "Fine. I'll go by myself then,"

Master Kenobi opened his mouth to reply, but was cut off by a soft hiss as the doors to the chamber slid open.

"You won't have to… to travel….far," a tired voice interrupted.

Anakin turned around at the familiar sound. "Ahsoka! You're back safe..." he trailed off as he looked at the Togruta. She may be back, but she was not safe.

His Padawan was in a lot of pain. One leg had a makeshift bandage around it, but the bandage was soaked in blood and crimson drops where running down her leg. There was a nasty bruise on one shoulder, and the other one had several deep cuts on it which ran down to her hand. Her tunic was covered in one big blood-stain, and her ribs showed through it clearly. Even her eyes had changed. They were harder, icier. They were the eyes of someone who had seen a lot of pain, and gone through a lot of suffering. Those eyes made her look so much older.

Anakin realised that she was swaying. He stepped forward, meaning to catch her, but she fell before he reached her.

That was when he saw the burn marks on her back. They were red and raw. Closer inspection revealed that each formed a word.

_Worthless_

_Failure_

_Lost_

_Untrustworthy_

_Weak_

_Nothing_

The Chosen One stood in silent horror. Who had done this? Who was sick enough to do this? He looked away and noticed that all of the Council members were silent in shock as well. Out of the corner of his eye, Anakin saw Master Plo freeze, and Shaak Ti looked slightly sick. Master Mundi had his head bowed, and Anakin could sense anxiety and pain being released into the Force by the Cerean Master.

"Chip… take it…" Ahsoka murmured as she produced a small memory chip and held it out. Anakin carefully took it and plugged it into the holoprojector which sat in the middle of the Council Chambers.

He didn't even wait to find out what it contained. Without saying another word, Anakin gently picked up his Padawan and exited the room. She needed medical attention urgently.

* * *

**Whoop Whoop! She escaped! Yay! Of course, this is not the end of the story. Beran still needs to be hunted down! (and some other stuff will also happen, but no spoilers!)**

**By the way, Percy J slash Twilight Sparkle, I loved those lyrics! So amazingly epic! (They actually relate to a rather tough situation I've been through recently, so it was nice to read them and no I'm not the only one which is having a bit of a hard time). Seriously, if you aren't already, you could be a song writer!**

**'Till next time, guys.**

**-Arosa :)**


	8. Important Information

**I'm alive! Sorry for the wait. Thank you so much to all those awesome people who reviewed. I would just like to point out that I've tried to do something a little bit different with this chapter. There are a couple of flashbacks in the middle of sentences. They're in italics, and almost like Ahsoka's thoughts as she remembers something which happened to her, or something Beran said. Confusing? I think you see what I mean when you read it. So, yeah. It's a new technique for me, and I'm not too sure on how well it suits the story. Some feedback would be greatly appreciated! :)**

**Disclaimer: Don't own it. **

* * *

_There was blood everywhere, all over the poles which she was tied to and all over the floor she was standing on. She desperately tried to free herself, but tight bonds held her hands firmly in place. As if sensing her fear and panic, someone began to laugh cruelly. The chilling sound echoed around the room._

"_Haha ha. Not such a brave Jedi now, are we Tano? In fact, you're not even a Jedi at all!" Beran Sobeck sneered as he walked into view. "You killed my brother and now I'm finally getting my revenge!"_

_The Phindian was close to her now, so Ahsoka launched a front kick at his stomach. To her surprise, the Phindian flew backwards and crashed into a durasteel wall. Weirdly, he began to grow smaller._

_And smaller._

_And smaller._

_Soon, he was so tiny that she couldn't even see him. Ahsoka sighed in relief. Now, all she had to do was wait until someone found her and set her free. Beran was gone. _

_Suddenly, the room gave a huge shudder. Sickly yellow gas began to pour out of a canister on one of the benches. Ahsoka watched in horror as the gas flowed gently down to the ground and across the floor around her feet. It continued to glide gently across the ground in the direction of a bottle of spilt acid. _

_As soon as the gas mixed with the acid, there was a huge explosion and a fireball rose up into the air. Ahsoka gasped as she realised that the fireball was in the shape of Beran's face._

"_I will find you." It snarled. There was a red flame for a tongue, and a smaller ball of fire in the shape of a hideous, piggish nose. But what scared her most were the empty eyeholes. There was nothing but an inky black emptiness where the eyes should have been. _

_Slowly, the face came towards her with its mouth wide open._

"NO!" Ahsoka yelled. She was so loud that she actually screamed herself awake. There was a flurry of movement as Anakin raced to kneel beside her bed.

"It's ok Ahsoka. It was just a dream. Everything's safe. I'm here," Anakin soothed the Togruta softly.

_("No one's here to help you now, Tano. No one can hear you scream,"…)_

The Padawan stiffened. "Where am I?" She asked, still shaking with terror from her nightmare.

"You're in the Healing Halls of the Jedi Temple. About five hours ago, you came into the Council Chambers and gave them a memory chip. Then, you passed out so I took you here. The Medical droid cleaned and covered your injuries, and left you to wake up on your own,"

Ahsoka gradually relaxed as Anakin talked. "Were you here the whole time?" she asked, reflecting that over the past few days, she had spent quite a lot of time passing out. Anakin nodded. "Didn't you get bored? Watching me sleep couldn't have been very entertaining,"

The Jedi Knight smiled. "I had some mission reports I needed to fill out. I also wanted to make sure that there was someone around when you woke up. Because things turned out like this, I'm glad I did. What exactly happened at that place?"

Ahsoka grimaced _("Pain happens, child. You caused me so much, and I'm here to pay you back,"_…). Sometimes, she wished her Master had a little more tact. It wasn't really something she wanted to discuss right now. "Beran's a mad scientist who is interested in pain. After the Jedi Masters decided to cut my connection to the Force, he ran a couple of 'experiments' on me," she shuddered.

Anakin narrowed his eyes and clenched his fists at the mention of someone hurting his Padawan. "Who is Beran?" His voice was dangerously low.

"Osi Sobeck's brother. He wanted revenge for his brother's death. Aurra Sing was there as well and she doesn't like me very much either," Ahsoka replied.

Anakin frowned. "What did you mean by 'the Jedi Masters decided to'? I thought you willingly sacrificed yourself,"

"We didn't really have much of a choice. I wasn't very willing, but everyone else seemed to think it was the right thing to do," The Padawan replied. Noticing the angry look on her Masters face, she quickly tried to explain. "It was either all four of us get killed with our connection to the Force, or just I get killed without my connection to the Force. I lost, either way. At least this way, I didn't have to watch anyone else suffer," She was relieved when the angry look on Anakin's face faded. Ahsoka didn't really want to be dealing with a grumpy Master right now.

"So, your nightmare was about the experiments and Beran? Where is he now?"

Ahsoka shrugged. "I don't know. Did the younglings make it back to their homes safely? I own my life to them," She asked, changing the topic.

Anakin nodded. "They waited outside the Council Chambers until the session had finished. Very respectful of them, really. Unlike you storming on in and fainting like that," he teased. Ahsoka reached out and weakly punched him on the arm. "Just kidding. I think you gave everyone a bit of a fright. You certainly scared me,"

The Togruta rolled her eyes. "Ha-ha. To be honest, I didn't really enjoy doing that either," she said, picking at the fraying strands of material on her blanket. "Hey um, Master, I've got a question. If a Jedi's connection to the Force got cut, would they ever be able to use the Force again?"

Anakin sat back and ran a hand through his hair. "If any lifeform's connection to the Force was cut, they would die. Everything needs the Force to survive. The Masters didn't cut your connection to the Force, they blocked it. So, you were still alive, but that way you couldn't feel or use the Force anymore. A Force block can be undone quite easily, but it can only be undone by the people who put it in place,"

Ahsoka visibly relaxed. "Phew. For a couple of days, I thought that I couldn't be a Jedi anymore,"

Her Master shook his head. "I would have continued to train you anyway. It seems that you're quite dangerous, even without the Force. Now, get some more rest. I'll be sitting on that couch over there writing more reports if you need me, okay?"

Ahsoka nodded. "Thanks Master." The Padawan smiled as her Master pulled the blankets snugly around her before heading over to the couch. For the first time in ages, she finally felt safe.

* * *

**….A Week Later….**

"A good job you have done, Padawan Tano. Proud of you, I am, young one," Yoda nodded.

"Thank you, Master Yoda," Ahsoka bowed slightly. She had just gotten out of the Healing Hall after a week of care. The Togruta was still feeling a little sore and stiff, and walked with a bit of a limp. Normally, she would have bowed lower, but she didn't want to re-injure herself and have to go back to the Healing Hall again.

"How are you feeling, Padawan Ahsoka?" Plo Koon asked.

"Much better, thank you Master," Ahsoka replied, smiling at the Kel Dor.

"We examined the memory chip and found the diagrams of the weapon Sobeck is planning to make," Master Mundi said.

"Yes, Master. When my connection to the Force got blocked, he was taking readings of everything happening in the room. It wasn't _just_ revenge that he was after. He wanted to design a weapon which would bring the Republic to its knees. He still has a copy of this information as he managed to take his datapad with him," Ahsoka replied. She was subtly trying to point out that the Master's actions of abandoning her had put the Republic at a greater risk than refusing to comply with Beran would have. What was the loss of three Generals compared to the loss of every Jedi's connection to the Force?

Master Mundi obviously understood what she was trying to point out in the most respectful way possible. "I apologise, Padawan Ahsoka Tano. We were fools to not think that Sobeck only after revenge. There was scientific equipment all around us and everything. Please accept my apology," he said with sincerity. "I will be more than happy to track Sobeck down to destroy the datapad and bring him to justice,"

Ahsoka frowned. "With respect, Master Mundi, that is not a good idea. Beran Sobeck's machine will block Jedi's connections the same way that you, Master Windu and Master Luminara did. That means that only you three will be able to undo the blocks. I think that it would be an unwise risk to send any of you out of the Temple until we get this cleared up,"

"Oh," the Master replied. The Council remained quiet. It was obvious now that by leaving Ahsoka by herself and blocking her connection to the Force, the three Masters had made the situation much, much worse. "Please, do accept my apology,"

Ahsoka only nodded in reply. She wasn't really after an apology- after all, nothing they said could make up for all the pain and hurt _(Helpmehelpme, itburns, itburns… ) _she had been through. They had turned their backs on her- walking away and left her to die. No apology could ever make up for that.

Ahsoka really wanted the Council to see the bigger picture, so that nothing like this ever happened again.

"What's done is done. We should be glad that thinks worked out the way they did," Master Windu chipped in.

Ahsoka had really had enough of his attitude. "With respect, Master,** I'm** not glad that things turned out the way they did. You three Masters cannot leave the Temple until we destroy the weapon. That will weaken the Republic. Not to mention that I got tortured and abandoned. And on top of that, once that weapon gets lose, the Jedi victims will become easier targets. They might not even make it back here to get treated."

There was a solid silence for ten seconds. The Padawan decided it was time to drive her point home, and causally turned around to look at the Chronometer on the wall. By doing so, her burn marks were exposed to the entire Council. She knew that she was acting really childish, but Master Windu didn't need to be so blunt.

"Padawan Tano, wants to speak with you the Chancellor does," Yoda broke the silence. "See the memory chip also, he wishes. Take it to him, could you?"

"Yes, Master Yoda." Ahsoka bowed again, ignoring the ache the burns on her back caused when the skin stretched. She then took the memory chip from Yoda.

"Dismissed you are, Padawan Tano. Once again, a great job you did."

As she strode out of the chamber, Ahsoka rolled her eyes. Perhaps once, she would have been proud of the praise. But now, it meant very little coming from the people who had left her alone to die.

* * *

Ahsoka made her way through the Jedi Temple and sighed. Should she really take the chip to the Chancellor? The Togruta didn't like him. And it wasn't only because he ignored her and treated her like a child. There was something creepy about him. Should she trust him with information that concerned the fate of the Republic, even if he was the Chancellor?

No.

She hadn't trusted him with the codes for the Nexus Route, and she saw no reason to trust him with this either.

The Padawan carefully made her way to her room, and grabbed two memory chips. After that, she headed for the library. She made sure that all the computers around her were empty, before sitting down and downloading all the diagrams and plans of the weapon onto her memory chips. She double checked that the download had been completed successfully, before wiping pieces of the information off the original device. Satisfied that her plan was working so far, the Togruta quickly tucked all three memory chips into the pouch on her belt, before sprinting to the hanger containing the Jedi Temple's speeders. She was running late, and did not want the Chancellor to get suspicious. As she headed towards the Senate building, the Padawan made a mental note to give him the bounty hunter's chip, and keep both of hers out of sight.

* * *

"Welcome, Padawan Tano. Would you like something to drink or eat? There is Belaria juice, Bofa Treats, Cardellian Mints, Muja Juice, Sweet Cake or Tea. Do any of those take your fancy, Child?" the Chancellor asked as he guided Ahsoka over to a luxurious, blue sofa.

"No thanks, Chancellor, I'm not very hungry," Ahsoka replied, barely managing to keep from rolling her eyes. _He called me 'child'. What a creep. _

"Very well. Now, firstly, I would like to thank you on behalf of the Republic. Your brave act has saved a great many lives. I hear that you lost your connection to the Force," Palpatine said as he sat down opposite her.

"Yes, I did. But, the Masters had only blocked my connection to the Force, not broken it. They undid the block just yesterday. I can use the Force again, now," Ahsoka explained politely.

"And thank goodness for that," Palpatine nodded. "Would I be able to see the chip you took?"

Ahsoka tensed. She hadn't gotten the chance to drop her ones off in her room at the Temple. "Of course, Chancellor. However, I must warn you that it did get quite badly damaged in the escape. The Council managed to salvage a bit of the information, but parts of the data are missing completely," The Padawan replied in the most respectful tone she could muster as she put a hand inside the pouch on her belt and grasped a memory chip. She was pretty sure that it was the right one, and pulled it out. In the light, she could see that it was the correct one.

"Thank you. Is this all the information?" the Chancellor asked as she handed it to him.

"Yes, Chancellor. The Council has also made a copy of the data, but this is the only other device it's on," Ahsoka lied smoothly as she turned to move back to her seat. Unfortunately, she didn't realise that her pouch was still open. The sudden movement dislodged the other two data sticks, and the Togruta could only watch in horror as they fell to the floor. She froze. Would he suspect anything?

_Think fast, Tano. _

* * *

**Thanks for reading. See you next update! **


	9. The Chase is On

**A/N: Thanks to everyone who reviewed the last chapter :) . Also, I changed my penname! So yes, I am the original author. I got tired of my old name! **

**Disclaimer: Nope, don't own it.**

* * *

"Oops! Those stupid things are always falling out! Sorry, Chancellor," Ahsoka said as she knelt down and retrieved the memory chips. On the outside, she was doing her best to appear calm, and slightly ashamed at being so clumsy. On the inside, she was in a cold sweat.

"Are those your ones?" Palpatine asked as he leaned forward a little, his curiosity aroused.

"Yes. Before I came here, I had to catch up with the Biology teacher. She had an assignment for me- I've missed a bit of classwork. I had to download it onto my memory chip and I was in a hurry to get here, so I didn't put them back in my room," Ahsoka explained as she sat down. She was still nervous, and thanked the Force that the Chancellor wasn't a Jedi. Any Force-user would be able to sense her emotions clearly.

Palpatine nodded. "It's good to see that you're keeping up with your studies, even after such a terrible experience. I imagine Master Skywalker can be quite the task master,"

"He's not too bad. My Master is a great Jedi, so I trust his judgement," Ahsoka smiled as she sat down.

"So I've heard. Tell me, did it feel terrible when the Jedi Masters walked out of the prison, leaving you there?"

Ahsoka stiffened. The Chancellor was very interested in what went on at the Temple. Then again, he was the leader of the Republic. "Yes, I guess it hurt a bit at the time. But looking back, what other options did they have? They didn't know what Beran Sobeck was planning to do,"

"Thank goodness your fast thinking and determination saved the day, Padawan Tano. Tell me, did you manage to kill Beran? Or is he still posing a threat to the Republic?"

Ahsoka grimaced. "He still has the plans for his weapon. And he's also after revenge. Sobeck told me that he would track me down,"

"That's not good." The Chancellor frowned. "However, I get the feeling that you will be able to look after yourself. You seem like a very capable Jedi." He smiled. "Now, I must be off. There is a new bill being put through this afternoon, and some of the other Senators want to discuss it with me. It's been a pleasure to see you, child,"

_Force, what a creep!_ Ahsoka smiled and nodded. "The pleasure is all mine, Chancellor." She bowed slightly, before one of the Senate guards came to show her the way out.

* * *

"Now, let's see what on that disk," Darth Sidious twisted his face into a grin as he slipped the chip into a datapad. There was no bill being discussed- he had lied to the Padawan. The Sith lord quickly scrolled through the information. The plans for the Force-Cutter had been wiped. Sidious sneered. That Padawan must have wiped it. He knew that Ahsoka didn't trust him. It had been clear since the time she refused to share the co-ordinates of the Nexus Route with him.

She was a very wise youngling, Sidious couldn't help but think. It might be an idea to take her out of the game later on. He hadn't counted on Anakin getting a Padawan. This youngling could rip his plans apart.

_She was very wise_… Sidious grinned suddenly. She wouldn't have erased the data completely. It must be backed up in the Temple's computer system. Sidious scowled. The Council would have done that anyway. No, the Padawan must have backed it up on something else. He remembered the nervous energy in the Force when she dropped the other data sticks. That must be have been what she copied them onto.

The Sith lord knew that he had to wipe those plans, or the Jedi may be able to find some way to destroy or resist the weapon. It would be easy enough to hack into the Temple's system. He had done it before, after all. The main problem would be to track Tano down and destroy her copy of the information.

"Jakar, I need you to hunt down Padawan Ahsoka Tano. She is carrying two memory chips. I need you to get them for me, and kill her," Darth Sidious turned around. Jakar was one of his red guards. He was also a talented assassin, and knew Palpatine's true identity.

"As you wish, sir," Jakar responded brusquely as he walked out of the room. The Sith lord didn't pull him up on his lack of respect. Jakar had always been very business-like. What he didn't have in respect, he more than made up for with his fighting capabilities.

The Sith lord walked over to one of the large windows in his office. He could see that Jakar had already changed his disguise, and was heading in the direction of the Jedi Temple. Normally, he would not send an assassin after someone directly after he had finished talking to them. But Tano did say that Beran was after her. The assassination would simply appear to be Beran making good on his threat.

Sidious smiled and the expression looked out of place on his twisted face. If all went well, he should have the memory chips back in no time at all.

* * *

Ahsoka guided the speeder towards the Jedi Temple. She liked piloting, even when it was just cruising around Coruscant. The Padawan could feel the warm sun on her back and relaxed. It was a beautiful day. Part of her was still mulling over the conversation she had with the Chancellor. He was a very nosy person, Ahsoka thought. He was always sticking his nose into Jedi affairs. Firstly, there had been that time with the force sensitive younglings, then there was the time with the Nexus Route. And now, there was this.

Ahsoka didn't know whether he was being a responsible leader by checking up on everything, or if there was more to him than met the eye. She shrugged. He was in a very high place of power. Perhaps that made him anxious, and he had turned into a bit of a 'control freak'.

Either way, she guessed that it wasn't really her business. In fact, part of her felt slightly guilty for erasing the data. She hadn't had any reason to do so, other than the fact that she didn't like or trust the man.

Ahsoka turned her speeder around a corner, and the Jedi Temple came into view. She smiled at the sight. Everything was feeling calm and peaceful when…

_Duck._

As a Togruta, Ahsoka's instincts were finely tuned to sensing possible threats and predators. Her Jedi training had taught her to listen to her instincts as well as the Force. She quickly reached out into the Force, and found that there was a darker feel to it. The Force was warning her too.

Ahsoka quickly slid off the edge of her seat and down to the floor of the speeder. As soon as she had moved, she felt something punch the air where her head had been a second before. Someone was shooting at her. Making a rapid calculation based on the blaster bolt's flight path, the Jedi estimated that the attacker was in front of her, and in a higher position.

Ahsoka quickly activated her shoto and lightsaber before standing up. Another bolt came, and she could now see the assassin. He was standing on top of a skyscraper about a hundred meters in front of her. Holding her lightsaber and deactivating her shoto, the Padawan reached one hand down to the steering joysticks. She wanted to turn down one of the side alleyways, and hopefully chase the assassin.

The speeder gave a lurch and rolled over as she pulled on the control. Thinking fast, Ahsoka took her hand off the steering, and reached under the seat, just as the speeder finished turning over. She was now holding on tightly to the seat as the speeder flew upside down. _Why had that happened? _Ahsoka thought in confusion, until a couple of sparks and some smoke flew into her face. The assassin had shot the speeder's controls.

_Not good._

The Padawan aimed towards an upcoming balcony. Hopefully, she would be able to let go of the speeder and land. She was about twenty meters away from it when she realised her plan was not going to work. She was losing altitude too quickly.

Instead, the Togruta let go and landed on the street below, just as her speeder crashed into the balcony. Ahsoka watched as the transport stopped in mid-air with the impact, before beginning to fall.

She quickly rolled out of the way as the speeder crashed down on the spot she had landed on. After looking around to make sure that no one had been injured-including herself- Ahsoka began to run. The building her attacker had been on was thirty meters away, and she was determined to catch this guy.

* * *

**Okay... to sum that all up, Chancellor Palpatine knows what the bounty hunters are up to- they're doing this on his orders. He doesn't want the Jedi to have any information about the weapon, because he doesn't want them to find out the way to destroy it (if there is any). So, he wants to hack into the Temple's system and destroy Ahsoka's memory chips. Yeah. It's hard to try and explain the plot in the story. Sorry for any confusion! ****Also, because I couldn't find any assassin which would really fit in with this fanfic, I had to come up with my own. Jakar is an OC. **

**Apologies for the short chapter- I just read this through and realised how short it actually is. The next one will hopefully be a bit longer. **

**Comments are always welcome :)**


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